


Babysitting

by teasockschocolate



Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Babysitting, Big Brother Phillip Carlyle, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, phillip wants a baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-04-07 14:03:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14082540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teasockschocolate/pseuds/teasockschocolate
Summary: based on a tumblr prompt: Phillip and Anne babysitting the Barnum girls and after Phillip realizes how much he wants to have a baby and tries to convince Anne. (Also Phillip x Barnum girls fluff ❤️)





	Babysitting

Phillip had agreed, because it was the Barnum’s anniversary, there wasn’t a show that night, and mostly because Helen had been standing beside her father, her pleading blue eyes wide as saucers when Barnum had asked Phillip if he and Anne would please watch the girls for the night. Helen shrieked in delight and pounced on Phillip who staggered under the sudden weight.

“You’re getting a little too big for me, Helen Melon,” He laughed.

“Get stronger then!”

“Manners, Helen.” Barnum warned. “Thank you, Phillip.”

“No problem,” Phillip set Helen down and gently tugged on her yellow braid.

“I’m going to go tell Caroline!” Helen cried, tearing off across the ring to find her sister.

“We could take them for the night if you’d rather. We don’t have much room, but then you don’t have to worry about rushing back.” Phillip offered.

“I’d check with Charity and Anne first, but I think that would be great, thank you. Though I’m not sure if the girls would ever leave.” Barnum said with a chuckle.

“Hey, that’s fine with me.” Phillip grinned. “I don’t think Anne would mind either.”

“Have you two ever talked of having children?”

Phillip shook his head. “Not really. I always wanted them but I don’t think she does.”

“Really? She’s great with the girls.”

“I know,” Phillip smiled, thinking of when he found Anne shamelessly racing the girls around the circus tent (and winning.) “It’s been so hard for her to deal with the stares of being with me though. Anne chose to put up with it but a child of ours would be forced to.”

“I can understand that,” Barnum sighed.

“Anyway,” Phillip said shrugging. “Let’s figure out where your girls are going tonight.”

A few hours later, Phillip and Anne’s house was practically shaking as the girls stormed it, laughing and jumping as they explored the tiny cottage.

“If there’s any problems,” Charity glanced after her daughters nervously. “We’ll be at Delmonico’s for dinner and go straight home. Please come find us. This is too much, we can take them, it’s fine—“

“Charity,” Anne laughed. “It’s fine. Please just go enjoy your evening. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

“You’ve got your hands full there, Anne,” Barnum laughed as behind her Phillip raced the girls.

Anne laughed. “I’m sure the three of them will be tired out soon enough.”

“Thank you, Anne,” Charity kissed her cheek. “Goodbye girls!”

The girls waved distracted by their game and barely looking over at their parents.

“Alright, then,” Charity laughed. “Thank you again. See you tomorrow,”

“Goodnight!” Anne called and shut the door.

“Anne!” Caroline cried. lunging at her. “Can I go on your back? Please, please, please? Helen’s on Phillip’s and we want to race.”

“Oh?” Anne looked up where Helen clung to Phillip’s neck, both of them grinning at her sheepishly. “Well, if they’re ready to lose, then let’s go.”

Caroline cheered and Anne knelt down so she could climb up.

“Maybe outside though,” Phillip suggested. “Won’t break anything and it’ll be a more public loss for you two?”

“Okay!” Caroline called as Anne carried her outside. “Down the road and back. Ready? Set? Go!”

Anne took off down the street, Caroline yelling insults at her sister over her shoulder. Something slammed into her right side and in the corner of her eye she saw Phillip and Helen, Phillip pushing her with his shoulder and Helen sticking her tongue out at her sister. Phillip and Helen took the lead and Caroline beat on Anne’s shoulders. “Go, Anne, go!”

Anne and Caroline came up next to the other two, Caroline this time trying to shove her sister off of Phillip. “No fair!” Helen wailed, shoving her sister back.

Anne and Caroline took the lead, reaching the end of the road and turning around to head back to the house. Caroline laughed at Helen and Phillip as they ran past them. Phillip and Helen came up close behind them, but Anne certainly had the athletic advantage over him and raced ahead, beating him to the house by several seconds.

Caroline cheered and danced as Helen and Phillip came in at their heels. Helen slid off Phillip’s back and flipped her long hair. “We let you win! Phillip had to be gentlemenly—“

“That’s not a word.” Caroline interrupted.

“—and let Anne win.” Helen continued, making a face at her sister.

“Exactly,” Phillip smirked.

Caroline rolled her eyes. “Whatever, you guys are just sore losers, right Anne?”

“That’s right.” Anne grinned, catching her breath.

“Now what can we do?” Helen bounced.

“Sit down?” Anne half heartedly suggested, exchanging tired smiles with Phillip.

“What about dinner?” Caroline suggested.

Anne ruffled her hair. “Will you girls help us cook?”

“Yeah!” They cheered.

Some time and many spills later, the four of them sat around the small table in the kitchen to eat stew and bread. Phillip felt slightly embarrassed that this was all that they could give them, knowing first hand the meals they were used to. He and Anne didn’t have much money with Anne’s meager circus wages and Phillip spending nearly all his investment money on the rebuilding of the circus, but the girls didn’t seem the care at all. They scarfed down their food, eagerly chattering about children in school, the circus, the ballet recital in which Helen had played a tree, and everything in between. Phillip glanced across the table at Anne, listening intently as Helen dramatically recounted a story of an incident at school (Caroline chiming in occasionally with a “no, no, no, this is what happened…”) and found himself imagining it being their children they had raced with and made dinner with, and that it was their daughter with Phillip’s blue eyes and Anne’s unruly curls that was going on about a girl at school who she was not particularly fond of. He felt a pang of longing but hid it with a smile when Anne met his eyes.

After dinner, Caroline treated them all to a preview of her newest ballet combination, and Helen, wanting to feel special as well, made up a song on the spot.

When it was getting late, the girls begged Phillip to tell them a story before they went to bed. “Not a weird sad one, like your plays,” Helen had insisted. “One about a princess!” Caroline suggested. “And a dragon,” Helen added. “And a mermaid!” Caroline cried. Phillip laughed and agreed, spinning them a long, winding story until Helen’s blonde head fell onto Caroline’s snoring one. They didn’t have an extra bed, so Philip laid the girls down onto the sofa they’d fallen asleep on and tucked a blanket around their chins. He leaned back and watched them for a second. Their cherub faces even more angelic and peaceful in sleep, nuzzled together like two kittens. He wanted one, he caught himself thinking. Or two. Or ten.

A pair of arms wrapped around him and he felt Anne rest her head on top of his. “They’re crazy,” She laughed quietly. “But God are they cute.”

“I know,” He grinned.

“They love you so much. Their big brother Phillip.”

He smiled, standing up from the ground and sitting in a chair, pulling Anne down with him.

He took a deep breath before speaking tentatively. “I know that it would be really hard, but would you, I mean, would you ever…”

Anne sighed. “Days like today I think I would. When I see you with them…you’re so good… and I wish you weren’t sometimes,” She laughed dryly. “Because then days when we can’t walk down a street together without getting spat on… and I just can’t.”

He tried not to be too disappointed — he knew that’s probably what she would say, but her words still made his heart wrench and he had to look away from the sleeping children in front of them.

“But,” Anne continued and his heartbeat accelerated hopefully. “It could be pretty great, couldn’t it?” She looked at the girls and an unconscious smile grew on her face.

“Yeah,”

She turned to him, her smile still there. “You know you’re asking me if I’ll have your baby before you ask me to marry you.”

“Oh, shoot, have I not asked you?”

Anne scrunched up her face, pretending to think. “I don’t think so… There’ve been a few that have asked but I don’t think you did.”

“Oh, I have some competition?”

“Not if you hurry, Carlyle.” Anne smirked.

“Patience is a virtue, Wheeler.” He winked, resting his chin on her shoulder. _Patience_ , he reminded himself.

**Author's Note:**

> follow my tumblr (same username) for all my fics and send me prompts!


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